ORLANDO, Fla. — Some of the monoclonal antibody treatments Florida deployed to combat the delta wave of COVID-19 over the summer won’t work against the new omicron variant that is rapidly spreading across the world, experts say.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals announced this week that its antibody cocktail has “diminished potency” against omicron but remains effective against delta. The U.S. government now is stockpiling another drug that appears to work against omicron, but supplies are a concern with cases rising across the country.
Gov. Ron DeSantis promoted Regeneron’s drug extensively during the delta wave, earning the moniker “Regeneron Ron” from critics who said he should have focused on vaccines at events, too, something he stopped doing in the spring.
Vaccine booster shots are an effective way to lower the risk of getting severely ill or dying from COVID-19, even with the new omicron variant, Dr. Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security at the Bloomberg School of Public Health
“The advice to the public is to get vaccinated,” Adalja said.
Another drug cocktail manufactured by Eli Lilly also isn’t expected to be effective against omicron, although it remains useful against delta.
“We won’t be able to use these products much more into the future,” said Dr. Kartik Cherabuddi, an infectious disease specialist and hospital epidemiologist at UF Health.
That could lead to supply issues with sotrovimab, a treatment from Vir Biotechnology and GlaxoSmithKline, being the only post-exposure monoclonal treatment option that is expected to remain effective against omicron.
The number of infections in coming weeks is expected to outnumber the supply, Cherabuddi said.
DeSantis continued his promotion of monoclonal antibody treatment options Friday in Ocala, as new drugs are being developed to bolster options.
Florida is receiving 3,100 doses of AstraZeneca’s Evusheld, a new pre-exposure antibody cocktail available to high-risk people who are immunocompromised or are not able to tolerate the vaccine, DeSantis said.
Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration granted emergency authorization for Evusheld for people 12 and older.
The treatment is administered as two consecutive injections and may prevent infection for six months, the federal agency said.
AstraZeneca said a lab study found Evusheld “retained neutralizing activity” against omicron.
DeSantis said he expects cases will rise during the winter in Florida but not as much as in the northern states.
“We are committed to doing the monoclonals,” DeSantis said Friday. “To the extent demand goes up and you need to do more, we’ll work to make sure those sites are available.”
At one time, Florida operated 25 antibody treatment clinics across the state that primarily offered Regeneron’s antibody cocktail. As cases fell from the summer peak, those clinics have been closing.
In Central Florida, clinics at the former Clarcona Elementary School in Apopka and St. Cloud Civic Center in Osceola County remain open.
Regeneron CEO Len Schleifer said the company is working on a next-generation treatment that could work against omicron and be available next year.
Merck and Pfizer also are working on COVID-19 treatment pills. Pfizer announced its pill likely works against omicron.
———
